PunGent:So, the article says infant deaths are down, but doesn't actually give a source for the increase in longevity stat. (yes, I know one can lead to the other, but the article doesn't give a source).

You'll have to excuse me, but I'm gonna take any statistics out of Afghanistan with a HUGE grain of salt...particularly when the take-away is they want more of my tax dollars.

I would imagine that the assumption is that surviving infants will have similar lifespans to other surviving infants and die of similar causes, which is reasonable since it is unlikely that vaccinated children will become disproportionate magnets for other or novel causes of death. Simply by not dying, they're blowing out the curve.

There are countless examples (talkin' centuries of time, here) of traditional European powers (as well as the US) providing aid to "occupied territories," as foreign wars subsided.

Placate and appease the residual populations to prevent residual uprisings. Make them feel better with schools, hospitals and churches, after the troops are mostly gone. War is Hell, but humanitarian aid is a healing salve, of sorts. I guess that's still the basic equation.

freewill:PunGent: So, the article says infant deaths are down, but doesn't actually give a source for the increase in longevity stat. (yes, I know one can lead to the other, but the article doesn't give a source).

You'll have to excuse me, but I'm gonna take any statistics out of Afghanistan with a HUGE grain of salt...particularly when the take-away is they want more of my tax dollars.

I would imagine that the assumption is that surviving infants will have similar lifespans to other surviving infants and die of similar causes, which is reasonable since it is unlikely that vaccinated children will become disproportionate magnets for other or novel causes of death. Simply by not dying, they're blowing out the curve.